text:
Cosmic flashes pinpointed to a surprising location in space
Astronomers have been surprised by the closest source of the mysterious flashes in the sky known as fast radio bursts. Precision measurements with radio telescopes reveal that the bursts are made among old stars, and in a way that no one was expecting. The source of the flashes, in nearby spiral galaxy M 81, is the closest of its kind to Earth.
Fast radio bursts are extremely short flashes of light from space. Astronomers have struggled to understand them ever since they were first discovered in 2007, by West Virginia University professors Maura McLaughlin and Duncan Lorimer along with Lorimer's student, David Narkevic. So far, they have only ever been seen by radio telescopes. Each flash lasts only thousandths of a second. Yet each one sends out as much energy as the Sun produces in an entire day. Several hundred flashes go off every day, and they have been seen all over the sky. Most lie at huge distances from Earth, in galaxies billions of light years away.
An international team of astronomers present observations that take scientists a step closer to solving the mystery – while also raising new puzzles. The team is led jointly by Franz Kirsten (Chalmers, Sweden, and ASTRON, Netherlands) and Kenzie Nimmo (ASTRON and University of Amsterdam).
Dr. Fonseca, assistant professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, was a key collaborator as a member of the Canadian Hydrogen
West Virginia University professors, Emmanuel Fonseca and Sarah Burke-Spolaor were collaborators in the study published this week in both the journals Nature and Nature Astronomy.
Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME) FRB project, where they initially made the discovery of this repeating burst source, named FRB 20200120E. Fonseca and the CHIME/FRB team made the first inference that the source resides in the M81 galaxy.
Dr. Burke-Spolaor, assistant professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, along with graduate students Reshma Thomas and Kshitij Aggarwal, were also collaborators on the study as members of the Realfast team that searched this location for FRBs. The Realfast detector allowed their team to perform deep radio imaging of the field to look for any lingering radio emission.
Fonseca, Burke-Spolaor, Thomas and Aggarwal are also members of the Center for Gravitational Waves and Cosmology; a research Center where high impact study of fast radio bursts is a central area of research.
The scientists set out to make high-precision measurements of a repeating burst source discovered in January 2020 in the constellation of Ursa Major, the Great Bear. "We wanted to look for clues to the bursts' origins. Using many radio telescopes together, we knew we could pinpoint the source's location on the sky with extreme precision. That gives the opportunity to see what the local neighborhood of a fast radio burst looks like," says Franz Kirsten.
To study the source at the highest possible resolution and sensitivity, the scientists combined measurements from telescopes in the European VLBI Network (EVN). By combining data from 12 dish antennas spread across half the globe, Sweden, Latvia, The Netherlands, Russia, Germany, Poland, Italy and China, they were able to find out exactly where on the sky they were coming from. The EVN measurements were complemented with data from several other telescopes, among them the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) in New Mexico, USA, which is the instrument on which Realfast operates.
Close but surprising location
When they analyzed their measurements, the astronomers discovered that the repeated radio flashes were coming from somewhere no one had expected.
They traced the bursts to the outskirts of the nearby spiral galaxy Messier 81 (M 81), about 12 million light years away. That makes this the closest ever detection of a source of fast radio bursts. There was another surprise in store. The location matched exactly with a dense cluster of very old stars, known as a globular cluster.
"It's amazing to find fast radio bursts from a globular cluster. This is a place in space where you only find old stars. Further out in the universe, fast radio bursts have been found in places where stars are much younger. This had to be something else," says Kenzie Nimmo.
Many fast radio bursts have been found surrounded by young, massive stars, much bigger than the Sun. In those locations, star explosions are common and leave behind highly magnetised remnants. Scientists have come to believe that fast radio bursts can be created in objects known as magnetars.
Magnetars are the extremely dense remnants of stars that have exploded. And they are the universe's most powerful known magnets.
The scientists believe that the source of the radio flashes is something that has been predicted, but never seen before: a magnetar that formed when a white dwarf became massive enough to collapse under its own weight. "Strange things happen in the multi-billion-year life of a tight cluster of stars. Here we think we're seeing a star with an unusual story," explains Franz Kirsten. Given time, ordinary stars like the Sun grow old and transform into small, dense, bright objects called white dwarfs. Many stars in the cluster live together in binary systems. Of the tens of thousands of stars in the cluster, a few get close enough for one star to collect material from the other. That can lead to a scenario known as "accretion-induced collapse," Kirsten explains. "If one of the white dwarfs can catch enough extra mass from its companion, it can turn into an even denser star, known as a neutron star. That's a rare occurrence, but in a cluster of ancient stars, it's the simplest way of making fast radio bursts," says team member Mohit Bhardwaj, McGill University, Canada.
Fastest ever
Looking for further clues by zooming into their data, the astronomers found another surprise. Some of the flashes were even shorter than they had expected.
Similarly lightning-fast signals have been seen from one of the sky's most famous objects, the Crab pulsar. It is a tiny, dense, remnant of a supernova explosion that was seen from Earth in 1054 CE in the constellation of Taurus, the Bull. Both magnetars and pulsars are different kinds of neutron stars: super-dense objects with the mass of the Sun in a volume the size of a city, and with strong magnetic fields.
According to Burke-Spolaor, "Almost every new set of FRB discoveries brings something unexpected, so it is clear that we are still working out the "rules" that FRBs follow."
The area of study around fast radio bursts remains a fast moving game with the rules constantly changing. Burke-Spolaor explains "with an observation like this, we've found an FRB in a specific environment, where specific types of stars interact in well-studied ways. In the world of FRBs, this type of result adds simple but precise rules about what could be making this FRB source."
"The discovery only makes it clearer that pinpointing the locations and host galaxies of FRBs is crucial," Fonseca explains. "Teams like the VLA's realfast and the EVN's PRECISE are enabling the next great leaps in FRB astrophysics by finding FRBs in all sorts of unexpected places."Future observations of this system and others will help to tell whether the source really is an unusual magnetar, or something else, like an unusual pulsar or a black hole and a dense star in a close orbit. "These fast radio bursts seem to be giving us new and unexpected insight into how stars live and die. If that's true, they could, like supernovae, have things to tell us about stars and their lives across the whole universe," says Franz Kirsten.
The research is published in two papers in the journals Nature and Nature Astronomy.
A repeating fast radio burst source in a globular cluster, by Franz Kirsten et al
(www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-04354-w; also available on ArXiv)
Burst timescales and luminosities link young pulsars and fast radio bursts, by Kenzie Nimmo et al ( www.nature.com/articles/s41550-021-01569-9; also available on ArXiv).
A repeating fast radio burst source in a globular cluster
Jake Stump
jake.stump@mail.wvu.edu
Holly Legleiter
West Virginia University Center for Gravitational Waves and Cosmology
hlegleiter@mail.wvu.edu
/Space sciences/Astronomy
https://gwac.wvu.edu/blog/2022/02/25/cosmic-flashes-pinpointed-to-a-surprising-location-in-space


text:
Advances in Infectious Diseases > Vol.3 No.1, March 2013
Rapid Identification of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Using Real Time PCR ()
Said Abbadi, Hamdy Youssef, Dalal Nemenqani, Ahmed S. Abdel-Moneim
Microbiology Department, College of Medicine, Taif University, Al-Taif, Saudi Arabia.
Pathology Department, College of Medicine, Taif University, Taif University, Al-Taif, Saudi Arabia.
DOI: 10.4236/aid.2013.31005 PDF HTML 5,113 Downloads 9,402 Views Citations
Screening for colonization with methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureas (MRSA) is a key aspect of infection control to limit the nosocomial spread of this organism. Current methods for the detection of MRSA in clinical microbiology laboratories using conventional methods is time consuming. In this research we are trying to evaluate the use of real time PCR for the detection of MRSA. The PCR assay was evaluated in clinical isolates of MRSA (n = 45) and methicillin susceptible Staphylococcus aureas MSSA (n = 10). The diagnostic values of the assay showed high sensitivity and specificity. This real-time PCR assay proved to be a fast, sensitive and specific tool for MRSA detection in a routine microbiological laboratory. Real-time PCR now is available in all laboratories so its use in identification of MRSA will help in shortening the period for MRSA identification and will help in the success of infection control programs in hospitals.
Diagnosis; MRSA; Rapid Detection; Real-Time PCR; Staphylococcus aureus
S. Abbadi, H. Youssef, D. Nemenqani and A. S. Abdel-Moneim, "Rapid Identification of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Using Real Time PCR," Advances in Infectious Diseases, Vol. 3 No. 1, 2013, pp. 44-49. doi: 10.4236/aid.2013.31005.
[1] F. D. Lowy, "Staphylococcus aureus Infections," The New England Journal of Medicine, Vol. 339, 1998, pp. 520-532. doi:10.1056/NEJM199808203390806
[2] M. P. Jevons, "'Celbenin'-Resistant Staphylococci," BMJ Journals, Vol. 124, No. 1961, pp. 124-125. doi:10.1136/bmj.1.5219.124-a
[3] A. Huletsky, R. Giroux, V. Rossbach, M. Gagnon, M. Vaillancourt, M. Bernier, F. Gagnon, K. Truchon, M. Bastien, F. J. Picard, A. Belkum, M. Ouellette, P. Roy, and M. Bergeron, "New Real Time PCR Assay for Rapid Identification of MRSA Directly from Specimens Containing a Mixture of Staphylococci," Journal of Clinical Microbiology, Vol. 42, No. 5, 2004, pp. 1875-1884. doi:10.1128/JCM.42.5.1875-1884.2004
[4] J. Boyce and N. Havill, "Comparison of BD GeneOhm MRSA PCR versus the CHROMagar MRSA Assay for Screening Patients for the Presence of MRSA Strains," Journal of Clinical Microbiology, Vol. 46, No. 1, 2008, pp. 350-351. doi:10.1128/JCM.02130-07
[5] H. Chambers, "Methicillin Resistance in Staphylococci: Molecular and Biochemical Basis and Clinical Implication," Journal of Clinical Microbiology Review, Vol. 10, No. 4, 1997, pp. 781-791.
[6] D. Warren, R. Liao, L. Merz, M. Eveland and W. Dunne, "Detection of MRSA Directly from Nasal Swabs Specimens by a Real Time PCR Assay," Journal of Clinical Microbiology, Vol. 42, No. 12, 2004, pp. 5578-5561. doi:10.1128/JCM.42.12.5578-5581.2004
[7] H. Fang and G. Hedin, "Rapid Screening and Identification of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus from Clinical Samples by Selective-Broth and Real-Time PCR Assay," Journal of Clinical Microbiology, Vol. 41, No. 7, 2003, pp. 2894-2899. doi:10.1128/JCM.41.7.2894-2899.2003
[8] R. W. Smyth, G. Kahlmeter, L. B. Olsson and B. Hoffman, "Methods for Identifying Methicillin Resistance in Staphylococcus aureus," Journal of Hospital Infection, Vol. 48, 2001, pp. 103-107. doi:10.1053/jhin.2001.0933
[9] NCCLS: National Committee Clinical Standards. Performance standard for antimicrobial susceptibility test. Eight information supplement M100-S9. National committee Clinical standards, Villanova, 2003.
[10] M. C. Enright, D. A. Robinson, G. Randle, E. J. Feil, H. Grundmann and B. G. Spratt, "The Evolutionary History of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)," Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA, Vol. 99, No. 11, 2002, pp. 7687-7692.
[11] J. M. Boyce, "Understanding and Controlling Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Infections," Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, Vol. 23, 2002, pp. 485-487. doi:10.1086/502092
[12] S. Mulla, M. Patel, L. Shah, and G. Vaghela, "Study of Antibiotic Sensitivity Pattern of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus," Indian Journal of Critical Care Medicine, Vol. 11, No. 2, 2007, pp. 99-101. doi:10.4103/0972-5229.33394
[13] K. Rajaduraipandi, K. R. Mani, K. Panneerselvam, M. Mani, M. Bhaskar and P. Manikandan, "Prevalence and Antimicrobial Susceptibility Pattern of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus: A Multicentre Study," Indian Journal of Medical Microbiology, Vol. 24, No. 1, 2006, pp. 34-38. doi:10.4103/0255-0857.19892
[14] I. M. Moussa and A. M. Hessan, "Rapid Detection of Community Acquired-Methicillin Resistance Staphylococcus aureus recovered from King Saudi Arabia," African Journal of Microbiology Research, Vol. 4, No. 24, 2010, pp. 2804-2810.
[15] S. Vidhani, P. L. Mehndiratta, and M. D. Mathur, "Study of Methicillin Resistant Staphyloccusaureus Isolates from High Risk Patients," Indian Journal of Medical Microbiology, Vol. 19, No. 2, 2001, pp. 13-16.
[16] T. B. Karchmer, L. J. Durbin, B. M. Simonton and B. M. Farr, "Cost-Effectiveness of Active Surveillance Cultures and Contact/Droplet Precautions for Control of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus," Journal of Hospital Infection, Vol. 51, No. 2, 2002, pp. 126-132. doi:10.1053/jhin.2002.1200
[17] G. Papia, M. Louie, A. Tralla, C. Johnson, V. Collins and A. E. Simor, "Screening High-Risk Patients for Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus on Admission to the Hospital: Is It Cost Effective?" Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, Vol. 20, No. 47, 1999, pp. 473-477.
[18] J. M. Fournier, A. Boutonnier and A. Bouvet, "Staphylococcus aureus Strains Which Are Not Identified by Rapid Agglutination Methods Are of Capsular Serotype 5," Journal of Clinical Microbiology, Vol. 27, No. 6, 1989, pp. 1372-1374.
[19] A. J. Grisold, E. Leitner, G. Muhlbauer, E. Marth and H. H. Kessler, "Detection of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Simultaneous Confirmation by Automated Nucleic Acid Extraction and Real-Time PCR," Journal of Clinical Microbiology, Vol. 40, No. 7, 2002, pp. 2392-2397. doi:10.1128/JCM.40.7.2392-2397.2002
[20] T. Y. Tan, S. Corden, R. Barnes and B. Cookson, "Rapid Identification of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus from Positive Blood Cultures by Real-Time Fluorescence PCR," Journal of Clinical Microbiology, Vol. 39, No. 12, 2001, pp. 4529-4531. doi:10.1128/JCM.39.12.4529-4531.2001
AID Subscription

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


CardOS 5.3 smart cards with ECDSA support work correctly in OpenSC Previously, OpenSC did not correctly parse the ECDSA algorithm in the *TokenInfo* information provided by CardOS 5.3 smart cards. As a consequence, OpenSC did not detect these cards. The *TokenInfo* parser has been updated and now complies with the PKCS #15 specification. As a result, CardOS 5.3 smart cards with ECDSA support work correctly in OpenSC.
OpenSC doesn't work with CardOS 5.3 cards.  In an orgnization that's been configured to authenticate users using CardOS v4.2C cards, new employees being given CardOS v5.3 cards cannot authenticate.
01 51 41 78 05 16 07 00 00 83 12 05 E7 55 21 02 .QAx.........U!.
The ATR of the listed card is already in the card driver in RHEL7 and cardos-tool looks like recognizing the card correctly. Though the error will be probably later. Can you run the OpenSC in debug mode to gather more information what went wrong?
Can you try if the following build resolves the issues (it is latest RHEL7.5 with the above patch)?
Customer confirmed that the latest OpenSC package from RHEL 7.5 fixed the issue.
After upgrading to opensc-0.16.0-8.2.20170227git777e2a3.el7.x86_64.rpm, all card versions tested work correctly (v5.3, v4.2).
The person who has this card did not turn on debug as requested when running pkcs11-tool, but here is the output he sent us. Let us know if you still need the debug knowing that the above RPM fixes the issue.
Thank you for verification. Can you also clarify if the tested package was the one provided in the comment #2 or from standard RHEL7.5 update?
I assume the first, but your comment does not make it clear.
"Can you try if the following build resolves the issues (it is latest RHEL7.5 with the above patch)?  https://brewweb.engineering.redhat.com/brew/taskinfo?taskID=15699214"
"FYI only: debug info originally requested is attached, but as we mentioned the test package resolved the issue.
We haven't tried If RHEL 7.5 yet, but if contains the same fix, you can close this case."
Since it does, I'll be closing that case.
3) Attaching "pkcs11-tool -L in debug mode with CardOS 5.3 inserted" debug info as a final follow-up.
pkcs11-tool -L in debug mode with CardOS 5.3 inserted.
Thank you for clarification. No, the RHEL7.5 does not contain this fix. It was fixed. I will make sure this will get fixed in RHEL7.6. Let me know if you will need an official hotfix earlier, or if this will be needed to be fixed in Z-stream earlier.


How to plan and start a garden. Growing a garden takes time and patience. Whether you're starting small with a container garden, graduating to a large in-ground garden or somewhere in between, Home Depot gives you the know-how to get you potting, planting, and growing!
Having good soil is one of the most important factors in growing a healthy garden. Proper soil structure allows water and air to move through the soil and will enhance root growth and overall plant health.
These are made specifically for planting in containers. They are formulated with ingredients high in porosity to allow for increased air movement which prevent root rot and allow for healthy and strong root development. They also contain ingredients which provide greater moisture retention to help your plants retain water in between watering.
These products will add vitamins, minerals, and nutrients to benefit not only the root structure, but the leaves, fruits and flowers of your plants.
Miracle-Gro® Garden Soil are made from ingredients specifically designed for in-ground gardening. This improves the existing soil so plants can build strong roots and produce bigger blooms or a more bountiful harvest. These are mixed 50/50 with your existing soil.
Top soils are low in nutritional value and are primarily used to fill large holes during landscaping.
Each plant, flower, tree, and shrub comes with its own plant tag, and those tags give you a lot of information — which can be overwhelming for any gardener. The Home Depot's Plant Tag Library is a comprehensive but easy to understand tool designed to explain all of the content on your plant tag so you can correctly care for your plants.
Front of tag: Usually has plant's common and scientific name, colour and close-up photo.
Need to look up your plant's information? Search by plant name, category, bloom colour and more using The Home Depot Garden Club.
Step 1. Before planting—whenever possible—loosen soil to a depth of 12 inches and mix in Miracle-Gro® Garden Soil 50/50 with your existing soil. Dig a hole as deep as the plant's container and 1 ½ to 3x as wide.
Step 2. Squeeze the container and gently tap it to remove the plant. Gently tease apart the roots with your fingers. If the root ball is tightly bound, cut into the root mass with a knife or trowel and loosen. Spread the roots in the planting hole.
Tip: To promote strong root development use Nature's Care™ Organic Bone Meal or Miracle-Gro® Quickstart® when transplanting. Follow label instructions.
Fill the hole with garden soil. Lightly press the soil around the plant to ensure good contact between roots and soil. Water regularly every 2-3 days, until established.
Plants need plant food in order to reach their full potential. There are 3 different types of plant foods available in the market: water soluble, granular and spikes. Water soluble plant foods come in either granular or liquid forms and feed immediately upon application. These plant foods feed instantly and need to be applied every 7-14 days during the growing season for best results. Granular plant foods such as Miracle-Gro® Shake 'N Feed® and plant food spikes are slow release plant foods that can feed up to 3 months. They release nutrients throughout the season and only usually require 2 feedings per season.
Be sure to water plants deeply and thoroughly. The best way to know if your plants need water is to dig 2 inches down into the soil with your finger. If the soil is dry, it should be watered. Be careful not to water container plants too often. Containers should be dry to touch between watering, and should not sit in water.
Mulch helps your garden retain moisture and prevent weeds. Choose a mulch made from natural forest products like Scotts® Nature Scapes® Mulch. It will naturally degrade over time and add organic material to your soil.
Inspect your plants regularly for insects that can prey on your garden. Insects can create damage in a matter of days. When looking for insects be sure to inspect both the tops and bottoms of leaves as well as on the ground around the plant. Slugs and snails require moist conditions so they like dense growth such as hostas and ivy. Control slugs and snails with Scotts® EcoSense® Slug B Gon® Slug and Snail Bait. Aphids can distort or stunt growth and can also carry many plant diseases. Aphids can be controlled with an insecticidal soap, like Scotts® EcoSense® Bug B Gon® Insecticidal Soap. Insecticidal Soap kills insects on contact so be sure to cover all sides of the leaves. Re-apply every 2 weeks, until the problem is gone.
Pruning can be used to shape or manage plant growth, promote flowering or increase yields and maintain health by the removal of diseased or dead limbs. As a general rule, prune spring flowering shrubs after they bloom, and for shrubs that bloom later in the year, July onward, prune in early spring before plants start to actively grow. Removal of dead or damaged limbs can be done at any time. Always refer to plant tags or reference guides to determine proper pruning times by species.


text:
package com.atteo.jello.tests.unit.space;

import com.atteo.jello.space.NextFitHistogram;
import com.atteo.jello.tests.JelloInterfaceTestCase;
import com.google.inject.Binder;
import com.google.inject.Inject;
import com.google.inject.name.Names;

public abstract class NextFitHistogramTest extends
		JelloInterfaceTestCase<NextFitHistogram> {

	private final short pageSize = 4096;
	private final int nextFitHistogramClasses = 8;

	@Inject
	private NextFitHistogram nextFitHistogram;

	public void configure(final Binder binder) {
		binder.bind(Integer.class).annotatedWith(
				Names.named("nextFitHistogramClasses")).toInstance(
				nextFitHistogramClasses);
		binder.bind(Short.class).annotatedWith(Names.named("pageSize"))
				.toInstance(pageSize);
	}

	public void testComplex() {
		nextFitHistogram.update(0, (short) -1, (short) 1024);
		nextFitHistogram.update(1, (short) -1, (short) 2048);

		assertEquals(0, nextFitHistogram.getWitness((short) 512));
		assertEquals(1, nextFitHistogram.getWitness((short) 1500));
	}

	public void testSimple() {
		// is initially empty
		assertEquals(NextFitHistogram.NO_PAGE, nextFitHistogram
				.getWitness((short) 1));

		// adding an empty page doesn't change anything
		nextFitHistogram.update(0, (short) -1, (short) -1);
		assertEquals(NextFitHistogram.NO_PAGE, nextFitHistogram
				.getWitness((short) 1));

		nextFitHistogram.update(0, (short) -1, (short) 100);

		assertEquals(NextFitHistogram.NO_PAGE, nextFitHistogram
				.getWitness((short) 100));
		assertEquals(NextFitHistogram.NO_PAGE, nextFitHistogram
				.getWitness((short) 101));
		assertEquals(NextFitHistogram.NO_PAGE, nextFitHistogram
				.getWitness((short) 512));
		nextFitHistogram.update(0, (short) 100, (short) 512);
		assertEquals(0, nextFitHistogram.getWitness((short) 0));
		assertEquals(NextFitHistogram.NO_PAGE, nextFitHistogram
				.getWitness((short) 512));

		nextFitHistogram.update(0, (short) 512, (short) 4096);
		assertEquals(0, nextFitHistogram.getWitness((short) 0));
		assertEquals(0, nextFitHistogram.getWitness((short) 512));
		assertEquals(0, nextFitHistogram.getWitness((short) 4096));

	}

	@Override
	protected Class<NextFitHistogram> interfaceUnderTest() {
		return NextFitHistogram.class;
	}

	@Override
	protected void setUp() {
		super.setUp();
	}

	@Override
	protected void tearDown() {
	}
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


This little guy is an absolute charmer! With his gorgeous hair and perfect little face... so precious! His daddy was in the Marines, and he's now a police officer, so we made sure to incorporate those special things into his session. So perfect!


Pete and the Persian Bottle – What's it all about?
While scavenging for go-cart parts in a rubbish skip, Pete comes across a curious looking bottle. When he opens the bottle, he releases a long-trapped genie. Eager to get his three wishes, Pete pushes the genie into making him special. The genie turns Pete into a rat, and then, after being frightened by noises from the computer, disappears out the window.
Pete must find a way to convince his friends that he is real and not just a rat. He and his friends then need to enlist the help of new Muslim student, Naseem, locate the missing genie and come up with a plan to set everything right, all the while avoiding lizards, dogs, cats, adults and the local thugs. (Reviews at the bottom of the page).
Rat/Pete is nine years old. He lives with his mum in a house to the west side of the park. He is pretty short for his height, gangly, medium brown hair, green eyes, slightly spotty complexion.
When he is turned into a rat he is slightly bigger than a normal rat, is a white, short furred, with green eyes.
To m is 10 years old, average height, thin build, sandy blond hair, blue eyes. He is a rather handsome looking lad, whose hair falls over his eys a little too much. He is an average student, not particularly good at sport, except for skate boarding. Tom's father is the manager of the hardware store, Tom's mother does part time secretarial at the Real estate agent. He has a sister, Betsy, who is seven.
Steve is one of Pete's best friends. He is also 9. He is a local Aboriginal boy who is of a very solid build – tall and strong, not fat. He is very good at sport, but not so good at School. The bullies don't mess with Steve because of his size, so he is a good friend to have. He wants to be a football player like Jonathan Thrust. Steve's mother died from lung cancer when he was five. He lives with his many aunties, and his father, who drives the tourist bus from the coast to the centre and back.
Cynthia is 9. She has been accelerated a year at School and is very bright. She is a Cynthialocal Aboriginal girl and is quite shy. She is small, skinny, with thick dark curly hair to her shoulders,and big brown eyes. She is good at athletics but doesn't talk much about it. She lives with her mum on Forth Avenue. Her mother is the Manager of the RSL. They don't have a lot of money but do alright. Her dad left her mum when she was little. He lives in Mackay but doesn't see her at all.
Naseem (His first name is actually Mohammad – but doesn't call himself that, because it would be confusing as that is his dad's name as well) has been living in Australia for 3 years. He is originally from Iraq. He has light olive skin, dark slightly curly hair, light brown eyes, slim build and is average height. His family have moved to Boney Ridge under a refugee program. He has cousins in Sydney, who have been in Australia most of their lives. He is an okay student and a very good cricket player. He likes computer games and sport. He speaks English well, and also speaks his native language Farsi. His father works at the railway yard, checking and loading the trains, and his mother works part time at the hospital as a nursing assistant.
Farouk is the Genie (Or Djinn). He has a bluish-green complexion, can be either thin or pudgy Bottledepending on how he feels. He doesn't have legs as such and has a kind of tail. He can become solid (when he is sting sweets) but is usually a little more transparent and smoke-like. He is very scared, a bit grumpy and jumpy. Speaks very little English but he has picked up some basics from merchants trading in Persia. He speaks Farsi but very formally. He has not been out of his bottle for about 200 years. He likes sweets, particularly traditional rose water Turkish delight, pistachio nuts and dried fruit.
A little about Boney Ridge?
Boney Ridge is a small town located in Central Queensland Australia. There is no McDonalds or KFC, in fact aside from the Chinese restaurant and the burger bar at The Royal Hotel there are no takeaways at all.
There are very few shops in Boney Ridge, just an average sized grocery store, hardware store where his dad work, a small country department store and saddlery, a combined newsagent, post office and book shop, a dress shop, pharmacy, and a farm machinery and car sales yard.
There are a couple of small businesses, and government offices, two banks, a real estate agent, where his mum worked, a library, an RSL club, 2 hotels, a caravan park, and a motor mechanic and scrap yard.
There are many myths and legends about genies. Genies are also know as D'jinn, or Jinn. In Muslim legend, a genie is defined as a spirit often capable of assuming human or animal form and exercising supernatural influence over people. Genies are said to be created in the same way as humans, except that they were born of smokeless fire and human were born of the earth.
Genies are believed to have the ability to take many forms and to change their appearance. For example, they can take a human form or an animal form, such as a cow, a snake, a bird, a black dog also referred to as the devil of the dogs.
It is suggested that genies are often trapped in bottles or lamps because some of them have the tendency to create chaos or ruin the lives of those they encounter.
When a person releases a genie from their bottle (or lamp) a genie is required to grant them three wishes (or at least this is what some stories suggest). Once the genie's obligation has been fulfilled, they can become angry and vengeful about being locked up in the first place. Often a person who releases a genie will become their victim once their wishes are granted. Once out of their bottle or lamp, genies are notoriously difficult to put back.
There are both male and female genies, some are good, some are bad, and some are a bit of both (kind of like people really). Some genies fear humans too. They are generally very private and do like being uncovered.
Amazon (Paperback & e-book): AU, USA, CA, UK, JP, or go to the site for your country.
Rating by Sabine S, Mother of 1 girl, BC, Canada: ***** A popular book among students in my daughter's class.


In 2008, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter snapped an amazing photo of Phoenix descending to the surface of Mars under its parachute. Now it's repeated the feat, with Curiosity.
It's such a rare joy to be able to dive into the images returned from a brand-new mission. The very first images that come to Earth and get posted on the Web are usually of relatively poor quality compared to what comes later, and Curiosity's are no exception to that rule.
I know it's been all Curiosity, all the time on this blog for the last couple of weeks, and that's not likely to change much for the next couple of weeks. But I don't want people to forget that there's another rover exploring Mars' ancient geology. Opportunity has been taking spectacular photos of Whim Creek and Endeavour Crater this last week.
Image magician Daniel Machacek has done it again, producing a jaw-dropping view of Mars from Viking Orbiter 1, featuring a frosty Argyre basin and stretching across to a series of faults called Thaumasia Fossae.
In a channel near a pedestal crater on the plains of Cerberus Palus, Mars, there are wacky swirl patterns.
It took Don Davis many hours of meticulous labor to assemble this beautiful postcard from Mars.
Has Mars Express MARSIS data proved that Mars once had a northern ocean?
There's been a bit of buzz on the Web this week regarding an ESA press release titled "ESA's Mars Express radar gives strong evidence for former Mars ocean." I don't ordinarily write about press-released science papers, but am making an exception for this one.
Today Opportunity sent back to Earth the last few frames of the "deck pan" self-portrait she took during the waning days of 2011. Her solar panels are very dusty, which isn't helpful. It's near winter solstice in her southern location on Mars, so the angled Sun is not providing as much power as it would in a different season.


Do you believe too that Rhinestone are the best thing happened to this world? They are ridiculously beauteous. The silver and ruby rhinestone are so soothing to eyes, a perfect combination come alive!
These elegant bangles are resplendent in their appeal. Made to enhance the beauty of your wrist. These bangles will surely make a standout addition to your collection. The embellished rhinestone are perfectly placed all over the bangle making it look pulchritudinous. These glamours bangles add a touch of refined cheer. These bejeweled bangles are your freshest look for the night making the bangles sparkling and glittering. Pair them with a dark color saree contrasting to the ruby pink and be ready to be a queen and a fashion faithful.


I cooked this dish for my Turkish boyfriend, he loved it. I just think is way to much oil into it. Is there any alternative to cook the eggplant without frying it?
Binnur, you are the best! this dish is my husband's favorite! and every time I make this for my Turkish friends as meze they clean out my dish! :) thank you!


"Cindy! Congratulations! I am SO excited and happy for you. I could tell how much you wanted it. That's really awesome. It's a great place. I'm glad you get to enjoy it too. Let me know once…"
"Cindy! Congratulations!! I am SO happy for you! It's a great place. I hope you love being there. Let me know when you're settled in. I will definitely come visit!! "
"Hi Cindy! It was great talking to you. I was glad to hear that things have been going well with your mare. Did you have any luck getting info about the Pettus farm? It's silly, but I think it would be great to…"
"ck out labor day wkend @ bucksnort under events. found farrier $75/$35. coming Thurs 3:30"
"Well yes twice a week I drive that way, but with my job I drive alot daily. Thanks keep me posted. I board them there because it's cheaper than anything I found here - remember two horses!"
Congratulations! I am SO excited and happy for you. I could tell how much you wanted it. That's really awesome. It's a great place. I'm glad you get to enjoy it too.
Let me know once you're settled in and I'll definitely come visit! If anything comes up, I know the place pretty well and might have some insight.
Congratulations!! I am SO happy for you! It's a great place. I hope you love being there. Let me know when you're settled in. I will definitely come visit!!
It was great talking to you. I was glad to hear that things have been going well with your mare.
Did you have any luck getting info about the Pettus farm? It's silly, but I think it would be great to have someone there who really cared about it and made it the terrific place it could be. It's got a lot going for it.
HEY! i dont know if you get on here much anymore! but happy new year, hope yall had a good christmas. i hope we get to all see each other again at buffalo river!
its Carrington:) i just got one of these things and i saw your name on my grandpa's and thought i would leave you a message! hope you and beth got home okay! haha i had a blast with you guys. you are like offically two of the funniest people i have EVER met!
Well yes twice a week I drive that way, but with my job I drive alot daily. Thanks keep me posted. I board them there because it's cheaper than anything I found here - remember two horses!
Oh by the way I have really crazy hours too - I an insurance agent! After September we have to get in touch!
Sounds wonderful - I have 15b, 17b, 23g, 26b, 31b - 13grandson, 8 granddaughter - yeap - I live here in franklin, but board my horse at two different friends places one in columbia, and the other in lewisburg. It was more affordable for now. can't wait until I can get out there.


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Q: How to fix button at bottom despite of scroll in Linear Layout I am new to android, have linear layout and scroll inside it. I want my Button to be fixed at bottom even when scroll happens, not sure how to do that. Below is my code and button is at the last. Can someone help. I tried "android_gravity" and "layout_bottom=true" which i read in few answers in stackoverflow that I should be using them when I am using LinearLayout
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
    xmlns:card_view="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
    xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    android:background="@color/colorWhite"
    android:orientation="vertical"
    tools:ignore="ContentDescription|MissingPrefix">

    <android.support.v7.widget.Toolbar
        android:id="@+id/toolbar"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="@dimen/action_bar_height"
        android:background="@android:color/transparent"
        app:popupTheme="@style/ThemeOverlay.AppCompat.Light">

        <RelativeLayout
            android:id="@+id/toolbar_layout"
            android:layout_width="fill_parent"
            android:layout_height="fill_parent">

            <TextView
                android:id="@+id/title_text"
                android:layout_width="wrap_content"
                android:layout_height="match_parent"
                android:layout_centerVertical="true"
                android:textStyle="bold"
                android:gravity="center"
                android:text="@string/registration_string"
                android:textColor="@color/eula_body_text_color"
                android:textSize="19sp" />
        </RelativeLayout>
    </android.support.v7.widget.Toolbar>

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/tool_border"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="1dp"
        android:layout_below="@id/toolbar"
        android:background="@color/tool_border_color" />

    <ScrollView
        android:id="@+id/scrollView_layout"
        android:layout_width="fill_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:background="@color/colorWhite"
        android:fitsSystemWindows="true"
        android:visibility="visible">

        <LinearLayout
            android:id="@+id/registration_layout"
            android:layout_width="match_parent"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_margin="@dimen/_20sdp"
            android:background="@color/colorWhite"
            android:orientation="vertical"
            android:visibility="visible">

            <View
                android:id="@+id/profileFocus"
                android:layout_width="1dp"
                android:layout_height="1dp"
                android:focusable="true"
                android:focusableInTouchMode="true" />

            <LinearLayout
                android:id="@+id/addPictureImageLayout"
                android:layout_width="match_parent"
                android:layout_height="match_parent"
                android:gravity="center_horizontal"
                >

                <ImageView
                    android:id="@+id/addPictureImage"
                    android:layout_width="140dip"
                    android:layout_height="140dip"
                    android:layout_marginBottom="22.5dp"
                    android:background="@drawable/uploadidphoto"
                    android:visibility="visible" />

            </LinearLayout>

            <TextView
                android:id="@+id/imagephotorequired"

                android:layout_width="wrap_content"
                android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                android:layout_gravity="center"
                android:layout_marginBottom="@dimen/_11sdp"
                android:text="@string/image_photo_required"
                android:textColor="#ffe7181c"
                android:visibility="invisible"
                android:textSize="@dimen/_9sdp" />

            <LinearLayout
                android:id="@+id/card_view2"
                android:layout_width="@dimen/_110sdp"
                android:layout_height="@dimen/_110sdp"
                android:layout_below="@+id/profile_layout"
                android:layout_gravity="center"
                android:layout_marginBottom="@dimen/_32sdp"
                android:layout_marginTop="@dimen/_25sdp"
                android:visibility="gone"
                card_view:cardCornerRadius="@dimen/_2sdp">

                <com.honeywell.hbs.visitormanagement.utils.CircleImage
                    android:id="@+id/profileImage"
                    android:layout_width="@dimen/_87sdp"
                    android:layout_height="@dimen/_87sdp"
                    android:layout_gravity="center"
                    android:foregroundGravity="center_vertical"
                    android:scaleType="fitCenter" />

            </LinearLayout>

            <!--  <TextView
                  android:id="@+id/vectorText"

                  android:layout_width="fill_parent"
                  android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                  android:layout_gravity="left"
                  android:layout_marginBottom="@dimen/_20sdp"
                  android:gravity="left"
                  android:text="@string/registrationDetails"
                  android:textColor="@color/gray606060"
                  android:textSize="@dimen/_15sdp" />
  -->

            <TextView
                android:id="@+id/nameText"

                android:layout_width="wrap_content"
                android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                android:layout_marginBottom="@dimen/_11sdp"
                android:text="@string/first_name"
                android:textColor="@color/blackText"
                android:textSize="@dimen/_12sdp" />

            <LinearLayout
                android:id="@+id/addIdProofPictureImageLayout"
                android:layout_width="match_parent"
                android:layout_height="match_parent"
                android:layout_marginBottom="10dip"
                android:orientation="vertical">

                <ImageView
                    android:id="@+id/id_proof_document"
                    android:layout_width="140dip"
                    android:layout_height="140dip"
                    android:layout_gravity="center"
                    android:background="@drawable/uploadidproof"
                    android:visibility="visible" />

            </LinearLayout>

            <TextView
                android:id="@+id/id_proof_number_tv"

                android:layout_width="wrap_content"
                android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                android:layout_marginBottom="@dimen/_10sdp"
                android:layout_marginTop="10dip"
                android:text="@string/id_proof_number"
                android:textColor="@color/blackText"
                android:textSize="@dimen/_12sdp" />

            <EditText
                android:id="@+id/id_proof_number"
                android:layout_width="fill_parent"
                android:layout_height="@dimen/_34sdp"
                android:layout_marginTop="1dip"
                android:maxLength="4"

                android:background="@drawable/edit_text_border"
                android:drawableRight="@drawable/asterix"
                android:paddingEnd="@dimen/_5sdp"
                android:paddingRight="@dimen/_5sdp"
                android:paddingStart="@dimen/_5sdp"
                android:textColor="@color/black"
                android:singleLine="true" />

            <TextView
                android:id="@+id/proofnumberrequired"

                android:layout_width="wrap_content"
                android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                android:layout_marginBottom="@dimen/_11sdp"
                android:text="@string/proofnumber_required"
                android:textColor="#ffe7181c"
                android:visibility="invisible"
                android:textSize="@dimen/_9sdp" />

            <TextView
                android:id="@+id/id_proof_type_tv"

                android:layout_width="wrap_content"
                android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                android:layout_marginBottom="@dimen/_10sdp"
                android:text="@string/id_proof_type"
                android:textColor="@color/blackText"
                android:textSize="@dimen/_12sdp" />

            <EditText
                android:id="@+id/id_proof_type"
                android:layout_width="fill_parent"
                android:layout_height="@dimen/_34sdp"
                android:layout_marginTop="1dip"

                android:background="@drawable/edit_text_border"
                android:drawableRight="@drawable/asterix"
                android:paddingEnd="@dimen/_5sdp"
                android:paddingRight="@dimen/_5sdp"
                android:paddingStart="@dimen/_5sdp"
                android:textColor="@color/black"
                android:singleLine="true" />

            <TextView
                android:id="@+id/prooftyperequired"

                android:layout_width="wrap_content"
                android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                android:layout_marginBottom="@dimen/_11sdp"
                android:text="@string/prooftype_required"
                android:textColor="#ffe7181c"
                android:visibility="invisible"
                android:textSize="@dimen/_9sdp" />

            <!--<Spinner
                android:id="@+id/id_proof_spinner"
                android:layout_width="match_parent"
                android:layout_height="wrap_content"

                android:layout_below="@+id/idProofcard_view"
                android:layout_marginTop="5dp"
                android:layout_marginBottom="@dimen/_10sdp"
                android:entries="@array/id_proof_type"
                android:popupBackground="#FFF"
                android:spinnerMode="dropdown" />

            <View
                android:layout_width="match_parent"
                android:layout_below="@+id/id_proof_spinner"
                android:layout_height="1dp"
                android:layout_marginBottom="@dimen/_24sdp"
                android:background="#ffa0a0a0" />-->

            <Button
                android:id="@+id/btn_login"
                style="?android:attr/borderlessButtonStyle"

                android:layout_marginTop="15dip"
                android:layout_width="fill_parent"
                android:layout_height="@dimen/_34sdp"
                android:layout_marginBottom="@dimen/_24sdp"
                android:background="@drawable/button_state"
                android:gravity="center"
                android:text="@string/confirm"
                android:textColor="@color/colorWhite"
                android:textSize="@dimen/_16sdp" />

        </LinearLayout>

    </ScrollView>

    <ProgressBar
        android:id="@+id/progressbar"
        android:visibility="invisible"
        android:layout_centerInParent="true"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content" />

</LinearLayout>

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